Luggage buckle



y 1962 J. MIHALYI 3,031,729

LUGGAGE BUCKLE Filed Nov. 10, 1960 JOSEPH M/HALY/ IN V EN TOR.

glvw Uited States Patent 3,031,729 LUGGAGE BUCKLE Joseph Mihalyi, 76 VanVoorhis Ave, Rochester, N.Y. Filed Nov. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 68,510 4Claims. (Cl. 24-171) The present invention relates to a buckle structurefor securing the free end of a strap and more particularly to a bucklestructure of the type used in conjunction with a luggage strap.

One form of buckle for luggage is of a well-known type comprising twoslidable members which clamp the free end of the strap therebetween.This particular form of buckle requires that the strap be threadedbetween the members and then drawn taut. Such a buckle is commonly usedon straps which completely encircle the article, such as luggage boxesor laundry cases, and which are not provided with holes or perforationsfor the usual buckle tongue. These buckles rely on the relative movementof the two members with respect to each other to clamp the strap, themovement being obtained by the opposed forces exerted on the buckle bythe ends of the strap. As stated above, the strap must be threadedbetween the members to obtain the clamping action when the strap ispulled taut and then released. This necessitates that the members of thebuckle be properly positioned with respect to each other in order thatthe free end of the strap can be properly threaded into the buckle.Also, when the strap is to be released, the buckle must be held as thebelt is pulled taut to prevent reclamping of the strap which can readilyoccur even if an attempt is made to pull the strap through the buckle.

The invention relates to an improvement over the above described form ofbuckle in that by providing an opening in one member and an open endslot in the other member, the strap can be placed in position withrespect to the buckle merely by inserting the strap edgewise through thealigned opening and open end slot. With this arrangement, the threadingof the strap is completely eliminated and provides a definite advantageparticularly if a strap having a frayed end must be threaded through abuckle. Also, one of the slide members is provided with a plate havingan edge inclined toward the opening. This plate assists in releasing thestrap in that as the strap is pulled taut and in a direction toward theopening, the inclined edge serves to guide the strap through the openingto obtain complete release of the strap without any further clamping orneed to hold the buckle so the two members cannot move to reclamp thestrap.

The primary object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a bucklestructure which eliminates the necessity for threading the strap throughthe buckle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle structurecomprising two members arranged on each other for relative movement andprovided with an opening and open-end slot to permit edgewise insertionof the strap into a proper position with respect to the buckle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a buckle structurehaving a release plate which serves to move the strap toward an openingto completely release the belt from the buckle.

And yet another object of the invention is to provide a buckle structurecomprising a minimum number of parts which can be easily assembled andwhich is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilledin the art by the description which follows.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing wherein like referencenumerals designate like parts and wherein:

BfiEL'lZQ Patented May 1, 12 262 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thebuckle showing the parts in assembled relation and a strap, which isindicated by dotted lines, attached to one of the buckle members;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the two elements comprisingthe buckle;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the buckle structure shownin FIG. 1, and which indicates in dotted lines the position of the strapagainst the release edge for complete removal of the strap from thebuckle; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the two elements comprisinganother embodiment of the buckle.

While reference is made herein to a strap being used in conjunction withthe buckle to be described, it is to be runderstood that the term strapis considered to be synonymous with belt or web and that the strap canbe made of leather, fabric, woven material, plastic, webbing or anyother material which can be suitably used for encircling the article tobe secured.

The invention can be best described with respect to FIG. 2 in which theelements comprising the buckle are shown to best advantage. Member 10comprises a hollow, rectangular or square frame consisting of side bars11 and 12 and cross bars 13 and 14, cross bar 13 joining the side bars11 and 12 at one end and cross bar :14 extending from the other end ofside bar 11 toward side bar 12. It will be noted that cross bar 14 doesnot join side bar 12 but that the end thereof with side bar 12 providesan opening 15 for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The inner edgeof side bar 12 is formed downwardly below the plane of member .10, as at16, and is provided with notches or serrations 17. 'One end 20 of strap18 is placed around side bar 11 and folded over, as shown in FIGS. 1 and3. The folds are then secured as by one or more rivets 21. End 20 canalso be provided with any other suitable fastening means such as snapfasteners which are spaced so when the male and female parts thereof arejoined a loop 19 is formed there by with side bar 11 within the loop,such a means of securing end 20 to side bar 11 being well known in theapparel belt field.

A second plate 25 is provided at one end 26 with gibs 27 formed up andover plate 25, as shown in FIG. 2,

r to provide a slideway for member 10 as described herewith notches orserrations 31 which are arranged so as to be between the serrations 17when member 10 and plate 25 are in assembled relation. The other edge 32of slot 25% is formed upwardly and out of the plane of said plate andcan also be provided with serrations if desired. While slot 29 is longerthan the width of strap 18, the length of edges 30 and 31 is slightlyless than the maximum width of strap 18 which can be placed or loopedabout side bar 11.

Frame 10 is provided with a release plate 35 which is formed upward andthen over the area defined by side bars 11 and 12 and cross bars 13 and14. As shown in FIG. 2, plate 35 is spaced from and parallel to theplane of member 10. One edge 34 of plate 35 is parallel to side bar 12and the other edge 36 is inclined from a point where plate 35 joinscross bar 13 toward opening 15.

To assemble member 13 and plate 25, the two parts are arranged in therelation shown in FIG. 2, with side bar 11 placed on plate 25 and to theleft of edge 32. As plate 25 is held, member 10 is moved to the leftwith the edge of side bar 11 and then cross bars 13 and 14 being movedunder gibs 27 which are spaced sufliciently from plate 25 to allow framemember 10 to be raised slightly at the right-hand end to permit theinner serrated edge 16' 3 of side bar 12 to be moved over end 28 ofplate 25. In the assembled relation member and plate are limited intheir movement relative to one another; to the left by engagement ofedge 32 of slot 29 with the upper portion 16 of side bar 12 and to theright by engagement of portion 16 with edge of slot 29, as shown in FIG.3.

With the one end of strap 18 secured to side bar 11 by either rivets orsnap fasteners, as described above, the strap is then encircled aboutthe object to be bound. Plate 25 is held in relation to frame 10 soportion 16 of side bar 14 lies over edge 30, thereby permitting the freeend of strap 18 to be inserted edgewise into the open end of slot 29.When fully within slot 29, the free end 40 of strap 18 is partiallyfolded over portion 16, as shown in FIG. 1, and pulled taut, the strapbeing held or retained in relation to member 10 by the upturned lug 42on the end of side bar 12 and adjacent opening 15. As this is done,opposed forces are, in effect, applied to frame member 10 and when end40 is released or slacked ofi, the opposed forces on strap 18 causemember 14 to move relative to plate 25, thereby moving portion 16 andedge 32 toward each other to clamp strap 18 therebetween. As the forcesare increased, the more effectively strap 18 is clamped. The end 40' canthen be arranged beneath plate 35 and can be threaded through any loopsprovided adjacent the secured end of the strap as is well known.

To release strap 18, the free end is withdrawn from the loops and foldedback against the release plate 35 and against edge 36; As the end 40 ispulled taut, plate 25 and frame member 10 are moved relative to eachother in an opposite sense thereby separating portion 16 and edge 32.When this separation occurs, the free end of strap 18 is'still pulledtaut and twisted slightly against edge 36 which serves to direct saidend toward and out of slot 29 to completely release the strap. It can beappreciated that the release of strap 18 can be accomplished veryquickly and with the use of only one hand, that is by the hand graspingfree end 40. This is accomplished, of course, by the relation of openslot 29 and opening 15 in member 10 to the edge 36 of plate 35 and dueto this relationship, the bothersome task of threading free end 40 intothe buckle and of withdrawing said end from the buckle is completelyeliminated.

The embodiment disclosed in FIG. 4 is similar to that disclosed anddescribed with respect to FIGS. 1-3. In this embodiment, however, member44 comprises a hollow, rectangular or square frame consisting of sidebars 45 and 46 and cross bars 47 and 48, the side bar 45 being providedwith a slot 49 which can be used .to secure end 20 of strap 18to member16. Gibs 50 are formed integral with cross bars 47 and 48 for slidablyreceiving plate 51. By forming gibs 50 on cross bars 47 and 48, member44 is made stronger and more rigid. As described above with respect toFIGS. l-3, member 44 is provided with opening 15, serrations 17 andrelease plate 35 exactly as shown in FIG. 2. Plate 51 is of a shape bestshown in FIG. 4

' and is provided the open end slot 29, edges 30 and 32 and notches orserrations 31, as in FIG. 2. The manner of assembling member 44 andplate 51 as well as the functo member 10 and plate 25. The primarydifference between the disclosure in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 is thearrangement and location of gibs 27 and 50.

. tion of the elements is the same as described with respect Since manymodifications of the embodiment of the invention described herein willbe apparent to those skilled in the art, such as the use of metals,plastics or other materials for member 1%) and plate25, the invention isnot to be limited to the disclosure described above but is of a scopedefined by the appended claims.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is:

l. A buckle structure for a strap comprising a first member including afirst side bar to which one end of said strap is secured, a second sidebar spaced from said first side bar, a first cross bar, joined to theends of said side bars, and a second cross bar spaced from said firstcross bar and joined only to the other end of said first side bar, saidsecond cross bar providing an opening in said first member defined bythe free end thereof and the other end of said second side bar, a secondmember provided with a transverse slot having an open end, means on oneof said members for slidably retaining the other member so said openingand said slot can be aligned to receive the other end of said strap,when inserted edgewise into position with respect to said buckle,clamping means including .an edge of said second side bar and an edge ofsaid slot which are moved into a position wherein saidstrap is clampedtherebetween when opposing forces exerted by said strap move said firstmember and said second member relative to each other, a plate memberextending across said first member in .a plane spaced from and parallelto the plane of said first member and joined thereto along only theinner edge of said first cross bar to provide an open end slot forreceiving and retaining the other end of said strap when engaged by saidclamping means and having a release edge extending toward said openingin said first member against which thestrap is pulled taut for releasingsaid clamping means.

2. A buckle structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein one edge ofsaid plate member is inclined toward the opening in said first memberagainst which the strap is pulled taut for releasing said clampingmeans.

3. A buckle structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein one edge ofsaid plate member extends across said first member parallel to saidsecond side bar and the other edge is inclined from said first side bartoward the opening in said first member, said strap being pulled tautagainst said other edge for releasing said clamping means.

4. A buckle structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein one edge ofsaid plate member extends across said first member parallel to saidsecond side bar, and the other edge is inclined from said first side bartoward the opening in said first member and formed out of the plane ofsaid plate member, said strap being pulled taut against said other edgefor releasing said clamping means and for guiding said strap edgewisethrough said opening and the open end of said slot to completely releasethe free end ofsaid strap from said buckle.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS946,974 Molloy Jan. 18, 1910 1,020,760 Hubbard Mar. 19, 1912 1,364,613Cochrane Jan. 4, 1921

